Cost of medical insurance for a Schengen visa to Poland and cost for obtaining a national visa

Availability of health insurance is one of the prerequisites for obtaining a visa to Poland. This rule applies to all types of permits. However, it is not enough to obtain a policy of any kind – the amounts of payments, types of insurance and issuing organizations are strictly regulated. Let’s consider all aspects of this process in detail, so that there would be no unforeseen circumstances during the trip.

Is it possible to do without insurance?

A visa cannot be issued without insurance. Legislation requires the availability of insurance for obtaining a visa to the Republic of Poland, regardless the period and purpose of stay.

It is necessary to buy insurance for a national visa to Poland, as it is checked when applying at the consulate. It can also be checked by customs and authorized bodies in Poland. The lack of insurance policy or bad insurance for a Polish visa can lead to a large fine, deportation and problems with obtaining subsequent visas.

What type of insurance is needed for a visa to Poland?

Depending on the purpose of entry and the type of Polish visa, the conditions for visa also vary. However, in all cases there are many common aspects.

Polish Documentation info

General requirements

The general requirements usually coincide with the minimum insurance requirements for a Schengen visa. For other types of documents, additional conditions appear.

A foreigner entering the territory of Poland on the basis of a national visa is required to present proof of health insurance or a travel health insurance document (with minimum coverage of 30,000 EUR) valid for the duration of the stay in Poland stating that the insurance provider will cover costs related to medical assistance received on the territory of Poland, including hospitalization costs and costs of return to the country of origin for medical reasons or after death.

A foreigner entering Polish territory on the basis of a Schengen visa giving the right to single or double entry must have health insurance that will cover the expenses associated with any medical treatment during his stay on the territory of the Schengen states.

A foreigner entering Polish territory on the basis of a Schengen visa giving the right to three or more entries must have health insurance that will cover the duration of his first stay. However, in this case, the foreigner must sign a declaration form attached to the visa application confirming that he is aware of the need to be covered by health insurance for subsequent visits.

For all Schengen visas (single, double and multiple entry) the insurance must be valid in all Schengen states and cover the entire period of the intended visit. The minimum amount of insurance is 30,000 EUR.

If the visa gives the right of entry, for example, to only two countries, the insurance must be valid at least in these two countries.

Also, the requirements include mandatory payments in cases of the following types of assistance:

urgent;

in case of injuries and illnesses (received in the territory of the Republic of Poland);

inpatient care;

transportation to the hospital;

urgent return to the motherland (in cases of illness);

posthumous repatriation.

Depending on the country of permanent residence the requirements for the amount of franchise may vary.

The Travel Medical Insurance policies issued by Indian Travel Insurance Companies that are not on the list and are issued after the 1st of October 2013 will not be accepted. The Travel Medical Insurance policies issued in Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Poland and other states will be accepted and verified on a case-by-case basis.

For citizens of Nigeria

Travel medical insurance must be valid for the entire period of intended stay plus at least 2 days; valid for all Schengen countries; minimum coverage 30,000 EUR.

For citizens of Pakistan

Travel medical insurance must be valid for the entire period of intended stay in Poland; valid for all Schengen countries; minimum coverage 30,000 EUR. Copies of your medical and accidental insurance documents must be mailed to the Polish embassy.

For citizens of Russia and Belorussia

For citizens of Russia and Belorussia the general rules and conditions apply (minimum coverage of 30,000 EUR and validity valid for the entire period of intended stay in Poland).

Insurance specifics for study and work

The insurance for a study visa and an employment visa is basically similar and depends on the duration of stay in the Republic of Poland. If we are talking about a period of up to six months, then the requirements completely coincide with the requirements for Schengen visa. In addition, you can arrange insurance for a visa both in the European and in the domestic authorized company.

It is recommended to issue insurance for an employment visa to with the following additional options:

an increase in the amount of payments up to 50 or 100 thousand euros;

a minimum period of 15 days longer than the Schengen requirements;

civil liability;

playing sports;

for work with increased risk.

Please note that the above conditions are not mandatory, but only recommended. However, for example, the treatment of a trauma received in a fitness room according to a policy without the item “exercising” will not be paid. As well as cases in hazardous production if you make insurance for a work visa without working conditions with increased risk.

Fore residence permit

A resident of Poland may receive public medical assistance or opt for private medical care and pay fees for healthcare services provided. All those employed in Poland, including foreigners, are obliged to possess health insurance. This means that every month a contribution is paid on their behalf (usually done by their employer) to the NFZ. Immediate family members of the insured person may also benefit from free medical assistance after proper registration with the NFZ, if they are not insured under a different title. Foreigners residing in Poland on the basis of a visa cannot, in principle, benefit from free public healthcare services in Poland.

Insurance for residence permit differs in following aspects:

The area of coverage must be all the EU countries including non-members of Schengen.

The term must cover the whole period of validity of the Residence Card.

Having a residence permit, a foreigner can register with the National Health Fund and take a state insurance policy that will allow them to use the services of state medical institutions on a par with the citizens of the Republic of Poland. Unlike private, the government agencies provide services of a somewhat lower quality, besides, queues are more frequent.

Citizens of Albania, Tunisia, Russia and some Balkan countries have the right to access certain health care services financed from public funds on the basis of agreements signed by these states with Poland. Said agreements apply only to certain services, or only specific groups of foreigners. Russian citizens temporarily residing in Poland are entitled to free health care in case of emergencies and accidents, until the patient’s condition allows for transport to Russia.

Requirements for issuance

Independently on the type of visa, the insurance policy have to:

Be filled by printing;

Contain the following information:

Name and surname of the insured;

age;

the date of the beginning of the policy and its term;

risks covered by the insurance.

In cases of acquisition of an “urgent” policy the tourist medical insurance is valid for the specified period, but on strictly defined days – the time intervals and conditions to which it applies are to be specified exactly. This type of insurance is also called as annual insurance for a Schengen or national visa due to a period of 365 days, which is most common.

The price of insurance

The cost of insurance for a Schengen visa and national visa is not fixed and depends on a whole set of parameters:

the country in which the insurance was purchased (as a rule, in CIS countries the price is lower than in Poland);

the insurance company and its forms of ownership;

the age and state of health of the insured;

the number of health facilities in which assistance can be provided;

options;

the amount of compensation.

Also, the cost of insurance for an employment visa to Poland depends on the validity term of visa. It can be noted that the cost of state medical insurance in the Republic of Poland (it is possible only having a residence permit) is about 140 USD per year and includes all the main procedures.

In private Polish organizations (available to everyone), the cost of health insurance for a Schengen visa only begins with this amount and it includes the minimum options. For a Ukrainian employee, the companies offer a full set of necessary conditions at a price of 120 about USD (prices are approximate and relevant at the time of writing the material).

Procedure of purchase

When applying for voluntary healthcare insurance, foreigners who are not EU citizens must provide their passport and one of the following documents:

an employment visa;

a temporary residency permit;

a permit to settle in Poland;

a long-term EU resident permit;

a permit for tolerated stay;

proof of refugee status issued in Poland or proof of temporary protection in Poland.

It is important to understand that medical insurance for an employment visa to Poland (the price is indicated above) is given only by authorized organizations!

You can purchase a policy directly at the office of the company and pay at the same place. However, it is more convenient to use one of the online services: easily, without haste, you can select the necessary, compare prices, etc.

Almost every insurance company has its own website, where you can easily arrange insurance for a Schengen visa online. In case of online orders, payment is possible with a bank card, e-currencies or cash at the company’s office upon receipt of the policy.

How to use?

Be sure to find out information about medical facilities where it is possible to service the purchased policy – the insurance policy applies only to the specified organizations. In the event of an insured event, it is necessary to contact the nearest hospital. At the end of the treatment, the payment will be decided between the hospital and the insurance, without the participation of a foreigner. However, if the medical services provided are not included in the option policy or their cost is below the level of the franchise – you will have to pay the bills yourself!

Additional insurance

The options “sport”, “civil liability” and “dangerous work”, which can be included in the policy, have already been mentioned above. In each company, many additional functions will be offered.

The most convenient and common ones are the following additional conditions:

Relief of chronic diseases. In such case the option is highly desirable; otherwise, chronic diseases will not be paid according to a standard policy

Loss of documents. This is the reimbursement of expenses for the urgent production of lost or stolen important documents (passports, tickets, etc.).

Insurance is a compulsory condition for a visa. It is easy to acquire it, but you need to understand all the details in connection with health insurance for a Schengen visa or national visa and make a trip to Poland interesting and enjoyable.